This Just In – It’s over. The Republican party is no longer a legitimate national party. The fall of the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California was inevitable, but his deeply-held commitment to spectacular failure cannot be overstated.
McCarthy’s doomed Speakership began with his first attempt to win the job in 2015. Speaker John Boehner was run out of the job and quit Congress altogether. McCarthy’s leadership job put him in line to be the next Speaker, a job he has wanted for most of his career.
Asked about his accomplishments in a television interview, McCarthy said the quiet part out loud and blew up his chances for getting the top job. He explained how Republicans had used their positions to soften up Presidential contender Hillary Clinton’s approval numbers.
“Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right?” he said. “But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she’s untrustable.”
Last weekend, McCarthy actually did a right and responsible thing (after trying everything else). He made a new deal with Democrats to keep the government open. It had to suffice since the previous deal he brokered with the president months ago (to lift the debt ceiling and fund the government) was one for which he didn’t have the votes.
Then he went on television (ominous music) and declared himself a hero for pulling this off because the Democrats, he said, really didn’t want to vote for it. He was confronted immediately on that falsehood and the fact that the Democrats outnumbered the Republicans two-to-one in voting the deal through.
A video clip on McCarthy’s Sunday television appearance was played for the Democratic caucus before the Speaker vote. In a boss move led by Hakeem Jeffries, Democrats were united. This is their fight, they all said, not ours.
This week, we witnessed a GOP verbal melee on the floor of the House of Representatives over whether or not to vacate the Chair of the House Speaker. Both sides of the argument were populated by Republicans.
All democrats present and eight Republicans voted the same way (to oust McCarthy) and for the exact same reason – because they could not trust him.
Brendan Buck, a former aide to Speaker John Boehner, said this chain of events proves that the GOP is not a party that can govern. It’s a minority party, best suited to criticizing those who are running the government (and usually from the cheap seats).
I couldn’t help but be reminded of Jesse Helms who was so often the “Nay” vote when the Senate would vote almost unanimously on something. He’d wield parliamentary procedure like a sword and block voice votes in order to get his “nay” on the record.
What’s the point, one could wonder. Before it was cool, Helms had a brand. Love him or hate him, you knew where he stood. For many of us, we could indeed trust Helms of stand in the way of progress and say horrible things to and about progressive leaders.
Simultaneously, Senator Helms’ office had a reputation for being among the best for constituent services. That’s the all-the-staff part of being in Congress that doesn’t get much attention. It’s all about helping your constituents … with passports or visas or government loans. That part of the Helms shop did not care if you voted for him, they cared about you being a North Carolinian. This is an element of public service and many of today’s Republicans simply don’t care about it.
The House will reconvene next week to elect a Speaker. There’s a scenario (that I advocate for on a regular basis) where that will be Hakeem Jeffries. His caucus is solidly behind him. If about 10 Republicans cross the aisle or fold their arms and vote “present,” it’s done.
If not, we’ll just have to wait until January of 2025. This week, the GOP handed the Democrats all the video they’ll need for ads and fundraising to take the House back in a historic blue wave.
(featured image: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Jean Bolduc is a freelance writer and the host of the Weekend Watercooler on 97.9 The Hill. She is the author of “African Americans of Durham & Orange Counties: An Oral History” (History Press, 2016) and has served on Orange County’s Human Relations Commission, The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, the Orange County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Orange County Schools’ Equity Task Force. She was a featured columnist and reporter for the Chapel Hill Herald and the News & Observer.
Readers can reach Jean via email – jean@penandinc.com and via Twitter @JeanBolduc
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